TYLER, Texas — All eight Southwest Junior College Football Conference head football coaches were in attendance Thursday for the 2022 media day to discuss the upcoming season at Hollytree Country Club in Tyler.
The conference has a few new faces leading the pack including Tyler Junior College's new head football coach, Tanner Jacobson, who announced he will be calling the Apaches defense this season.
The Apache offense took a huge blow this offseason when General Booty announced he'd forgo this JUCO season to play quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners. Coach Jacobson openly acknowledged the star player's departure as a hit to the organization.
"It was difficult, you know, General was a very well liked member of the team," Jacobson said. "You know, not only was he a tremendous football player and led the country in passing yards but he was also a tremendous person. His leadership, his ability to run the office by himself was something that will be missed. I was really hoping he was coming back. I was even you know, throwing out there I'd name my first son General Booty Jacobson if he came back, but that wasn't enough to keep him from Oklahoma."
Down Highway 31 at Kilgore College, the Ranger football program enters the season ranked number two in the 2022 media preseason poll, something head coach Willie Gooden welcomes with a grain of salt.
"We get picked to the top of these coaches polls, these media polls and it always tends to go on the other side or tends to favor against us but hopefully with us being in a different location in a different venue. Hopefully that mojo is flipped this way," Gooden said.
Kilgore College announced their first two home games will be played at Longview High School, including their week one matchup against rival, TJC.
"Really excited for Coach Gooden to make me better as a coach, to make our players better and have that relationship moving forward," Jacobson said. "We can be competitive, we can joke, we can maybe talk a little trash, not in the media sorry. It'd be kind of behind the scenes but you know, I'm excited to get to know him further."
Kilgore College and TJC are set to face off Sept. 3 at Longview Lobo stadium.
